‘A Netflix for news’: Australian startup inkl launches iOS smartphone app to unlock multiple newspaper paywalls from around the world

●    The Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian and The Washington Post amongst global news sites confirmed as launch partners.

●    Innovative app unlocks all partner paywalls with one simple subscription.

Australian startup inkl today officially launched its dedicated iOS smartphone app offering consumers one smart and easy platform to unlock multiple newspaper paywalls from around the world. An Android solution is to follow in the coming weeks.

Described as the ‘Netflix for news’, inkl has partnered with some of the world’s most influential publishers, including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian and The Washington Post, to deliver the very best news, views and opinion straight to users’ smartphones.

Like Spotify and other new media subscription platforms, inkl operates a simple ‘freemium’ model to deliver a curated selection of the world’s best content. The app is free to download, with premium subscribers able to unlock the paywalls of the world’s best news titles. Publishers will benefit from the service through a unique licensing partnership, offering significantly more revenue per article read than current advertising rates.

“inkl is based on the insight that people read more international news content than ever before, and value quality journalism, but have found that the experience of engaging actively with multiple sites or navigating multiple paywalls to be irritating and difficult,” explains Gautam Mishra (left), inkl’s founder and CEO.

“In response, we have created a celebration of high quality journalism in a ‘skinny bundle’ format. This allows us to offer readers agenda-setting journalism, analysis and interviews delivered throughout the day to their smartphones,” he commented.

“The goal is for inkl to provide the best international news perspective on the planet – and in doing so, create a sustainable revenue stream for the news publishers who invest in the resources necessary to continue creating outstanding journalism,” Mishra added.

The select publishers already partnering with inkl include The Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian (Australia, UK and US), The Washington Post, Hindustan Times, The Times of India, Livemint, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Irish Independent, The Atlantic, Al Monitor, The Canadian Press, The Independent UK, The Toronto Star and USA Today. More titles will to be added in the months ahead. inkl’s app is the first of its kind to officially launch internationally.

Among inkl’s backers is North Base Media, a specialised investment firm co-founded by media investor and former editor of The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal, Marcus Brauchli. “The insights are clear,” he said. “Not only do readers want insightful and authoritative journalism, but they’re more willing to pay for it when it comes to them in a smart, intuitive way. inkl has pioneered a digital business model that recognises evolved media consumption habits without compromising quality.”

“Its ambition to be the global ‘Netflix of News’ is the kind of positive disruption the world’s big news publishers are looking for,” Brachli added.

To sign up, download inkl free from the App Store and follow the prompts, or visit inkl.com to register.